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Mango Coconut and Champagne Trifle

Summer in Australia brings many good things: brilliant sunshine, long lazy days, endless cricket and — of course — mangos. And what better way to use this beautiful tropical fruit than that classic summer dessert: the trifle! The inspiration for the mango and coconut custard combination comes from a Martin Boetz recipe in the Delicious Wicked cookbook. I’ve taken this idea in a new, fresh direction by using sparkling wine in the jelly. Champagne jelly is simple to make and a brilliant foil for fruit, bringing a crisp and refreshing contrast.

For maximum visual impact I serve the trifles in individual glasses to show off the layers. You can simplify by making one large trifle in a single bowl, which is especially sensible if you’re scaling the recipe up for a crowd. Make sure you give this a go while the days are hot and the fruit is plentiful!

Prepare six drinking glasses to serve the trifles. Glasses with a straight edge make it easier to layer things neatly.

Slice the sponge cake crosswise to create two layers about 1-1.5cm thick. Use one of the serving glasses to cut 6 neat rounds, 3 from each layer.

Spread the cake rounds on a shallow baking tray and sprinkle over 50ml of sparkling wine. Stand aside to let the wine soak in.

To make the jelly, add 50g of sugar and 450ml of sparkling wine to a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Once all the sugar has dissolved cool a spoonful and taste for sweetness, adding up to 50g more sugar as desired (to account for differences in wines — remember the jelly should have a bit of zing to contrast the other sweet elements).

Dissolve the gelatin powder in 100ml of cold water, stirring well. Add the hot wine and mix well to form a clear liquid. Stand to cool, then place in the fridge to start chilling.

Reserve half of one mango for topping the trifles. Prepare the remaining mango by dicing into large chunks. Line the bottom of each serving glass with a compact layer of mango.

When the jelly mixture has cooled to below room temperature, pour a portion over the mango in each glass. The jelly layer should be about the same thickness as the mango. Place the glasses in the fridge for up to 3 hours to set the jelly.

While the jelly is setting, prepare the custard. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk well to form a creamy mixture.

Combine the coconut cream and milk in a saucepan and heat to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and gradually add to the egg mixture, whisking as you go.

Return the custard to the saucepan over a low heat and stir constantly until it thickens, about 20-25 minutes. Stay patient at this stage — if you use too much heat you will get scrambled eggs!

Chill the custard in the fridge until you are ready to serve the trifles. It will be cool by the time the jelly is set.

To complete each trifle carefully push a sponge round into each glass until it is flush with the jelly. Pour over a layer of custard, then top with slice or two of mango and a small scattering of toasted coconut.